The Birthday Boy
The Birthday Boy is the 21st episode of 6teen. Plot Wyatt is walking through the mall when Jen and Caitlin come up to him, declare "Happy Birthday!" and give him a big embrace. Wyatt slips out of it and declares he doesn't want to talk, as he hates birthdays. Caitlin questions this, and Wyatt tells them that every year his parents throw themed parties. As his family is large and the whole family participates in themes, all the good ones were snapped up long ago. The theme this year? "Trailer Park." Jude is playing on his laptop when his friends come up to the Big Squeeze. Jen then announces that Wyatt will have a fun birthday, courtesy of his friend. Wyatt initially resists, but Jen states that it's beyond his control, and Wyatt resigns himself to it. Jude then notices Wyatt's soda hat and asks for it. Wyatt is only to happy to give it to him. Later, Jude is still playing while Jen and Caitlin make plans. Jen states that the theme has to be really big if it's going to distract Wyatt. She then calls up Nikki and Jonesy. Jen puts Nikki on gifts and Jonesy on catering. Jonesy initally refuses, as he says that he doesn't get off work until six; his boss then interrupts, saying that employees are not allowed to talk on the phone. Jonesy's employer fires him on the spot. Disappointed, he points out that he lost his job quickly, but then agrees to get the food for the party. The trio hang up, and Jen enlists the distracted Jude to get the cake. Jude suggests a cake with a picture of Wyatt airbrushed on, and the girls agree. Meanwhile, Jonesy is begging Nikki to tutor him. He says that he needs her help. Nikki cites reason why she won't help him, including him falling asleep while she was talking, but Jonesy says he's learned from his past mistakes. Nikki then says she'll tutor him if he admits she's smarter than he is. After a bit of haggling, she gets him to say it. In the food court, Nikki and Caitlin are discussing lighting while Jude plays. They notice him playing and ask him what it is. Jude says that it's his new game, Simu-Mall. At first, the girls deride him for playing, but they become interested when Jude says he's programmed the mall to be exactly the same as the Galleria. All three are distracted by this, and quit discussing Wyatt's party. Nikki and Jonesy are in a changing room discussing geography when one of The Clones asks about the khakis. Jonesy asks for a size 42, and the girl leaves. Nikki congratulates him, as their is no size 42, and they go back. Jonesy says if he gets the next question right, Nikki has to answer a question from him. Nikki agrees sarcastically and asks "What provinces do the Rocky Mountains cross into?" Jonesy answers that they cross into Alberta and British Columbia. Nikki is surprised but admits that Jonesy answered correctly. Jonesy then asks why they haven't gone out again. Nikki tries to dodge the question, but Jonesy continues to press it. Nikki refuses to answer, and the two move on to France. Jude and Jen are totally fixated on the game. Caitlin is not so happy, however. She points out that they have to stop, as so much has to be done for Wyatt's birthday. She suddenly stops midrant and asks why Simu-Caitlin is wearing a hideous sweater. She tells Jude to change it and becomes part of the fixation. Nikki notices Jonesy staring at her lovingly. She decides that they should go somewhere less distracting and takes him to the fountain, where loud noises and distractions abound. This keeps Jonesy from staring at her, and so Nikki notes that it is much better here. Wyatt arrives. He sees them playing the game and questions them. Suddenly, Caitlin's avatar passes Wyatt's on the cool scale. Wyatt asks what would happen if he was fronting a band. Jude works on it, and Wyatt walks off. Suddenly, the three realize that they should be working on Wyatt's party. They are about to go back to work on it when bells and buzzers ring in the game. The trio have just won the Simu-Lottery. Jonesy is exhaustedly reciting capital cities. He finishes a list, and Nikki congratulates him, as he just named every capital city in Europe. Before they can celebrate, though, their attention is drawn by the sound of doors slamming shut. Stores are closing, as it is six o'clock. The study partners start to argue but before it gets too far they realize that they need to get gifts and food. Nikki and Jonesy run off to get what is needed. Wyatt comes up to the lemon at the same time and tells his friends to do their worst. The three at the table realize they spent all their time playing the game. Jen sends him away, saying that what she actually said was 6:30, and that Wyatt is early. As soon as their friend leaves, they panic and run around the mall, searching desperately for an open store. Jen runs to a card store and calls inside, begging for a card. Jonesy runs into the coffee shop's closing doors just as Charmaine shuts the doors. Nikki and Caitlin have no success with getting what they need either. The friends are at their usual table, disappointed and needing to come up with something. Jonesy says that he's taking over and asks if he saw a party somewhere earlier. Jen states that there's one at Albatross & Finch but then says that they would never pull it off. Jonesy then makes a speech that convinces them although it may be hard to pull such a thing off, they must do it, for Wyatt. When they get there, though, they learn something that makes it even more impossible to pull it off–the party in question is a bridal shower. Once inside, Jonesy notes that the wedding thing is a setback, but they should still proceed. Jonesy says he and Nikki will take the back, Jude has the front of the store, and Jen and Caitlin have 10 minutes to cover the middle before going to pick up Wyatt. The gang then embarks on their mission to demolish and destroy all wedding-related scenery. A bit later, Jen and Caitlin lead a blindfolded Wyatt in. They notice Jude playing again and stop to reprimand him. While they talk, Wyatt continues to move. Caitlin and Jen catch up to him before he can run into anyone, and remove his blindfold. Wyatt sees the party and smiles instantly. He then acts amazed that so many people came to wish him a happy birthday. When a Greeter God comes up, he thanks him for coming. The Greeter God replies with that he wouldn't have missed it for the world, and that such an event only comes once in a lifetime if you're lucky. Wyatt is a bit surprised by this turn of phrase, and he then turns to his friends to ask who the Greeter God was. Jude explains that he was that guy from that thing last summer. Wyatt raises an eyebrow at this, so Caitlin gestures to Jill, asking her if she knows Wyatt. Jill says she doesn't, but on seeing him she becomes interested in knowing him. They walk off to the snack table, and that is where trouble begins. Wyatt notices that the chocolates look like brides, but before he can comment further on it Jen scarfs the whole plate. He then sees the bride walk by, and Jen pretends to choke to distract him from the veil on her head. Meanwhile, Jonesy is popping balloons. Nikki comes up and asks how it is going. Jonesy replies that it is going well before he takes a big swig of helium and asks why she doesn't want to go out with him. Nikki replies that it's not that she doesn't want to go out with him, and Jonesy takes advantage of this, pointing out that she does want to go out with him. Before he can make too much of it, though, he is signaled to another problem. Nikki goes over to Jen to help her with distraction while Jonesy and Caitlin pull down a banner. In doing so, Jonesy and Caitlin crash to the ground. Wyatt hears the crash and looks around for the source, but Jen distracts him by betting she can shove three drumsticks in her mouth at once. She does so, and Jill notes to Wyatt that his friends are weird before leading him away from the snack table. A few minutes after leading Wyatt away, Jill leaves to get a soda. At that point, Wyatt notices his friends behind him, and he thanks them for the party. He then notices the presents and goes to open one. His friends try to cajole him out of it, but Wyatt insists on opening just one. As a last-ditch attempt, Caitlin drags Jill back to the party, but Wyatt decides to open a present. He does so and pulls out pink lingerie. Wyatt is confused by this. Caitlin, in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, yells "Happy birthday!" The friends swiftly join in, much to Jill's confusion. Jill asks if she's missing something, and Wyatt says he was wondering the same thing. The gang realizes that their backs are against the wall and they start to cheer for cake. The chant is taken up by the whole crowd of people, and the cake is wheeled out. Unfortunately, the cake is topped with a statue of a bride and groom. Jonesy, afraid, runs headlong towards the cake and dives into it, knocking it over. This annoys everyone at the party, but it doesn't matter, as a Greeter God announces that it's time for the guest of honor to say a few words. Wyatt, believing this is him, walks to the podium. His friends stand there, shell-shocked, knowing that they can't let him go up there but also certain that, if they stop him, he'll know that they prepared the charade at the last minute. Wyatt climbs up and begins to speak. "Thanks everybody! This birthday is awesome. I've always hated birthdays, but after tonight, I think I actually like them again! You guys are all so great!" Wyatt finishes his speech only to be greeted with a call of "Dude! Who are you?" At this catcall, Wyatt turns around and comes face to face with the sobbing bride, who announces to him that it's her bridal shower. The gang then runs off, leaving Wyatt to face a crowd whose anger is starting to grow. Wyatt is sitting by the lemon, his bridal shower gift in front of him. His friends, minus Jonesy, then appear, offering apologies. Wyatt is first unwilling to forgive, but he suddenly realizes that what his friends did for him is really quite nice. Jude then offers the soda hat back, and Wyatt takes it. He admits he might have been too hard on his parents; then again, this is one of the best birthday parties he's ever had. Jonesy then appears, the squashed party cake in tow. The friends eat of it, happy with the small party they are now having. Jude is in Grind Me, playing the game again. His friends walk up behind him. They then announce that it's an intervention. Jude says that he can quit any time, but that isn't good enough for his friends, who drag him away from his laptop. While Jude, Caitlin, Jen, and Wyatt work on keeping Jude away from the game, Jonesy asks Nikki out again. Nikki asks him what he thinks she'll say, and Jonesy replies that he thinks she's chicken. Nikki then realizes that he's right–Nikki is afraid of messing up the group dynamic and ruining life for the 6 friends. Jonesy accepts this and then playfully begins to wrestle with her. Soon, all 6 teens are on the floor laughing. Trivia *Jonesy's job: employee at Fruitworld. **Reason for firing: was on the phone while on the job. *Apparently Wyatt's family has a rule that birthday parties must be themed. *This is the first birthday in the series to be celebrated. The second was the 3rd season premiere, Sweet 6teen, where Caitlin celebrated her 16th birthday. *Jude's "Simu-mall" game is a reference to The Sims. *This is the first episode where there is more than one scene before the opening credits. *Wyatt's having a big family suggests that he has several relatives, and possibly some siblings. *Jonesy references The (Almost) Graduate when he says that he worked at Albatross & Finch for two days. *When Jonesy makes his inspirational speech, "Pomp and Circumstance" plays in the background. This happens whenever someone makes an inspirational speech, although the one most likely to make such a speech is Jude. **This is also the first time somebody other than Jude makes an inspirational speech, and the second inspirational speech in the series overall (with Jude's "sick day" speech in The Big Sickie being the first). Category:6teen Episodes